ALUMNI E-NEWS #10 SEPTEMBER 2014
This is our tenth alumni e-newsletter and we’re so happy about that we’re dancing right now. (Also because we can’t get that Taylor Swift song out of our heads.)
BIG YEAR, BIG BOOK This past year was a mighty big one for our burgeoning alumni program, and we wrote about that in the 2013 - 2014 RSS Impact Report, the snazzy annual publication that details the financial life of our school. We also wrote about some of your beloved teachers, as well as lots of the awesome programming our donors make possible. This year’s alumni section of the report is bigger than ever, and we are humbled and honored that it includes a list of alumni supporters of RSS. (Plus some terrific and inspiring fun facts about all you lovely people.) Check your mail box (if we have your current address) or your parents’ mail box (if you still live at home or might possibly still live at home) and be sure to peruse pages 20 - 23. If you want your very own copy—and copies of all the cool things we mail—then make sure we have your current mailing address! If you’re way into reading online rather than on paper, then check out our Impact Report here instead.
We are so proud that we tripled alumni giving this year, and so grateful for our alumni supporters. We hope you will join this esteemed list by making a contribution of any amount during the 2014- 2015 school year. Please do so here.
REALLY REALLY HAPPY HOUR We had so much fun hanging out with RSS alumni from four different grad years this month that we’re tempted to write this whole section in all caps. Thanks to those who joined us at Antler Beer & Wine Dispensary on September 10, including the kiddos pictured: Jeremy Meyers ‘06, Alex Barksy ‘04, Annabelle Moore ‘04, Joyce Greenbaum ‘04, Chloe Drew ‘01, and Morgan Einig ‘04. We love you! And if you missed it, we feel sad for you but hope you make the next one. BE GOOD AND DO GOOD Add this to the list of reasons RSS is a spectacular place. Our yearly B’nai Mitzvah Philanthropic Initiative— started by a group of #Classof2004 parents way back in 2003—is bigger and better than ever. This past school year, our #Classof2015 students gave away more than $57,000 to 13 different organizations working to make a positive difference in the world. Topic areas included environmental issues, women’s rights, children’s health, education, and homeless and poverty. Here’s an example of one nonprofit we supported, the Community for Urban Community Services.
SAY HELLO TO GANDALF FOR US Sometimes at parties and in the lunchroom we’re asked what’s up with our alums and here’s one fun answer to that question: Arielle Darr ‘04 moved to New Zealand! Fairly certain this is the furthest away any RSS grad lives from our home on W. 79th Street. (Technically, the furthest city from NYC is Perth, Australia, which is like 3000 miles from Wellington, but let’s not get bogged down in details.) Anyway, Areille is living and working in NZ for a year, exploring the country, and writing about her adventures here. Here’s Arielle pictured with classmate Danielle Kaminsky ‘04 at her send-off party last month. TANGENT OF THE WEEK If you want to figure out which populated city is literally the furthest away from where you live, here is a handy little website specifically for that purpose. HERE COMES THE GROOM Woohoo! Join us in celebrating the first marriage of a member of our inaugural middle school Class of 2004. Mazel Tov to Alex Weigel ‘04, who married Wenbo Fang at Hedges Inn in East Hampton on September 7. Alex and Wenbo live in Chicago, where he recently completed coursework for a Masters in Finance from Kellogg. They met as undergrads at the University of Chicago, where they were both math majors. Here’s a pic of Alex during his wedding weekend with five of his best friends, all of whom he met at Rodeph Sholom School when they were wee little ones. (We say this all the time: your RSS friends really do last a lifetime!) From left: Ben Cogan ‘04, PJ Nacron ‘04, Alex, Gabe Deards ‘04, Cliff Pysher, and Dan Rosen.
HERE WE ARE NOW, ENTERTAIN US Or entertain you, anyway. Here are some events and we hope you come to them. (Unless you’re not invited. Then don’t come to them, because that would be awkward.) Friday, October 10: Tribe RSS alumni who are 21 and older are invited to join a big crew of fellow alumni at this new and fantastic monthly service at a Manhattan hot spot. Organizers and board members include RSS alumni Ezra Levine ‘00, Zev Lebowitz ‘00, Alex Sheridan ‘98, and Jason Bruck. We’ll share more details via our Facebook page in the coming weeks. Wednesday, October 29: Cheer on the Lions! Members of the Class of 2013 are invited to our 7th/8th grade soccer game against the Mandell School. Come reunite with your RSS classmates, eat some snacks, and root for the Lions in Central Park. (Also, pompoms!) Look for a FB event invite in the coming weeks. Monday, November 24: Class of 2014 at 8th Grade High School Night Hey, newest alumni! Come eat pizza, drop some mad high school knowledge on a panel, and then have dessert with your classmates at this annual evening event. Tuesday, November 25: College Alumni Reunion We’re throwing a shindig for the Classes of 2007 - 2010. (First time ever! Have suggestions? Send ‘em to Mr. Palmer.) Details TBD, but likely somewhere on the UWS around 7-ish. ***** TWEEEEEEEEEEEEET (Or, um, hey there want to help us?) We have a dream. An awesome dream. (Actually, it’s just sort of an ordinary dream, but we’re still psyched about it.) We want to create a Twitter list of all RSS alumni who are on Twitter. But we don’t want to create it; we want one of you to create it for us. If this sounds at all interesting, contact Mr. Palmer and he’ll explain the details, etc. We will be happy to provide community service credit hours for this service if you’re in high school and that’d be helpful.
THE LION OF WALL STREET Here is a whole bunch of important people ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange recently and yep, that guy 8th from left is RSS alum David Rothblatt ‘12. David volunteers as a high school ambassador teaching young students about the events of September 11 in age-appropriate ways. He attended the ringing of the bell with the 9/11 Tribute Center as the guest of his faculty advisor. HAPPY NEW YEAR Shanah Tovah, y’all! Here’s a calendar of high holiday events at CRS. May you and your families have a good and sweet and peaceful year. And in the meantime: FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM.
GIVE US YOUR LIKES. (We really appreciate them!)
And don’t forget: you may read every excellent issue of Alumni E-news in our archive here. As always, be good and we love you!
Rodeph Sholom School Office of Development Bryant Palmer Director of Alumni Relations 646.438.8657 www.rodephsholomschool.org